Inside the walls of the colon, little pouches have a tendency to form as a person ages. These are called diverticula. When they first appear, the symptoms are generally mild and this is considered diverticulosis. When these diverticula become...
Bloody stool is an abnormal finding. Although on a microscopic scale our bodies discard spent and dead blood cells regularly, visible and/or testable blood in the stool reflects a problem. The presence of bright or dark "tarry" stools is very...
Fresh blood in the stool is caused by bleeding in the digestive system. When the blood is fresh, it is generally caused by bleeding from the rectum or from the lower colon, because blood from higher in the gastrointestinal system (such as the...
Finding blood in an infant's stool can be frightening for parents, but most of the time the blood doesn't signal a major problem. Nonetheless, parents should always report any blood in a baby's feces or found in his diaper to a pediatrician. Since...
Another cause of blood appearing in the stool can be hemorrhoids. Hemorrhoids are made up of swollen veins that appear in the rectum and anus. These veins, when they get swollen, can become inflamed and swollen which can lead to rectal bleeding....
Blood in or on your stool can be startling and quite frightening. The University of Maryland Medical Center reports that bloody stools can indicate an injury or disorder in your digestive tract. Call your doctor right away so he can run tests and...
Blood and mucus in a child's stool can be alarming to parents. There are several causes of rectal bleeding, and doctors can determine the cause based on taking a careful history and an examination and through imaging and laboratory testing....
According to the Mayo Clinic, blood clots in the stool or fecal material are evidence of a bleed somewhere in the gastrointestinal system. Blood clots in the stool will often be accompanied by unclotted blood. If the unclotted blood is bright red,...
Iron is an essential mineral that is important in the production of red blood cells. Lack of iron in the diet leads to iron deficiency anemia. Iron deficiency may also be caused by excess blood loss due to menstruation, burns, stomach ulcers,...
Over 100,000 people were affected by colon cancer in 2010, according to estimates provided by the National Cancer Institute. This form of cancer affects the colon, the longest region of the large intestine. Colon cancer often results in stool...
Many types of bacteria and parasites can infect the colon, causing mild to severe disease. Infection of the colon, also known as infectious colitis, typically occurs due to accidental ingestion of contaminated food or water. Fecal contamination...
Your child's digestive or gastrointestinal tract includes his esophagus, stomach, small and large intestines, rectum and his anus. Bleeding can come from any of these areas, and it may even occur without you or your child noticing it, according to...
The appearance of blood and mucus in a baby's stool can be frightening for parents. Most cases of blood and mucus are harmless to the baby and either go away on their own or are easily corrected. However, parents should report any blood and mucus...
While a change in a child's stool color can be alarming to parents, stool color discolorations are not always a sign of serious illness. To know how to handle a stool color that is anything other than brown or tan, parent must recognize which...
Beets have been used for centuries in making a Russian soup called borscht. Today, beets are more mainstream, appearing on the menus of fine restaurants and in recipes on trendy food websites. Before you search for a recipe with red beets, be...
Blood in the stool is a common cause of dark stools, and can get into stools through internal bleeding in one of the organs of the digestive system. Blood then enters the alimentary canal, the space in which food is processed, and mixes with...
People who have large hiatal hernias may experience symptoms that are similar to indigestion. A hiatal hernia occurs when a hole is created in your diaphragm and allows a small part of your stomach to poke through. When the hernia becomes...
Blood in a 2-week-old baby's stool upsets parents, usually more than it upsets the baby. Virtually every baby passes blood in the stool at least once during their infancy, pediatrician and author William Sears, M.D. explains. While some causes of...
Blood in the stool originates from one thing: bleeding into the gastrointestinal tract. The bleed may be slow and chronic or swift and of sudden onset. In diagnosing the cause of blood in the stool the first step is to find the source of the bleed...
Gastrointestinal, or GI bleeding, encompasses bleeding from anywhere along the GI tract, from the mouth to the anus. The GI tract is divided into the upper GI tract, including the mouth, esophagus, and stomach; and the lower GI tract, encompassing...
Diarrhea is a medical condition that causes loose, watery and frequent bowel movements. It is typically an indication of another medical condition, such as food poisoning or the stomach flu. One of the most effective ways to treat diarrhea is by...
Seeing blood in your diarrhea can be an alarming sight. If you develop diarrhea whenever you eat soy-based products, you need to be tested for a soy allergy. If you are diagnosed with a soy allergy, you need to avoid eating soy to prevent diarrhea...
The digestive system is made up of a series of tissues that mechanically and chemically digest food and absorb nutrients into the body to sustain life. The length of the digestive system is lined with membranes that contain specialized digestive...
The presence of blood in an infant's stool is alarming for any parent. While there may be a number of causes, noting symptoms and important characteristics are key in helping a doctor properly diagnose and treat an infant. Pinpointing possible...
Colon and bowel cancer both cause disturbances in the gastrointestinal tract. The bowel is comprised of the small and large intestines, or colon. Though cancer may affect both the large and small intestines, cancer of the colon is much more...
Although blood in a baby's stool is an alarming sight for parents, it's usually not an an emergency. More often it's an easily resolved problem. Whatever the cause, however, it's always a good idea to give your pediatrician a call.
Blood in the stool is alarming. It's often due to an injury or disorder of the digestive tract. Appearance of blood in the stool can range from bright red to black and can originate from any part of the digestive tract, according to the University...
Salmonella is a type of bacterial infection that impacts the intestinal tract. Normally the bacteria exists in the intestines of humans and animals and is shed through feces. Salmonella infection in pregnancy can cause health risks to the unborn...
Colon cancer is cancer that develops in the colon or large intestine from polyps that are usually benign or non-cancerous. However, over time the polyps can mutate into a malignant tumor, which is a growth of tissues made up of cancerous cells. In...
Ulcers are caused most frequently by non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications. Symptoms included burning in the abdomen, pain and blood in the stool. Learn more about the causes, symptoms and treatment of ulcers in this health video.
Milk allergies are the most common food allergy in babies, though most children will grow out of the allergy by age two. Learn more about milk allergies in this health and nutrition video.
